The Trade Deadline Of Our Discontent

There was one thing the Yankees could not afford to do before yesterday’s non-waiver trade deadline: nothing. And that’s exactly what they did. They did nothing. They checked in on this guy and that guy, but ultimately they did nothing. Ownership brought inAlfonso Soriano last week and that’s it. They did nothing.

“It wasn’t a deep market at all,” said Brian Cashman soon after the 4pm ET deadline. “What I was offering obviously wasn’t good enough for the opposing teams. What the teams were suggesting to me wasn’t good enough from my perspective … We will have to contend with what we have right now unless we can find ways to improve it. And obviously right now that’ll come from within and off the disabled list.”

As the first 107 games told us, what the team has right now is not good enough to contend. Not even close, really. They’re seven back in the division and three back of a wildcard spot with three teams ahead of them. Yeah, there are 55 games left to play, but that is a major uphill climb. A climb that required some reinforcements if the team was serious about contending during Mariano Rivera‘s final season. Instead, we get more excuses about how the market wasn’t favorable.

What Cashman neglected to mention, of course, is that the current market is the result of the team’s prior (non-)moves. They purposefully downgraded the lineup over the winter and got burned when the regulars started getting hurt, and now they’re desperate. Teams know this — they no doubt smell the blood in the water — and the prices get jacked up. Add in the fact that there are more contenders and fewer sellers, and you’ve got a recipe for exorbitant trade deadline prices. If they wanted help, they had to overpay. Even Corey Black for Soriano was an overpay considering Soriano said he would only accept a trade to New York. The Cubs had zero leverage and still extracted a decent prospect.

The Yankees had plenty of chances to improve the team during the offseason/free agency and passed, in part because of the plan to get under the $189M luxury tax threshold next year. They had a chance to improve before the deadline — both right at the deadline and in the weeks and months leading up to it — and passed. Now they have to try to improve during the August waiver period, which won’t be easy despite their relatively high waiver priority. They keep painting themselves into a corner and further limiting their market, which is no way to go through life.

At some point Cashman and the rest of his management henchmen have to come out and take some sort of responsibility for the roster and stop blaming the market. It was their conscious decision to address every need with an aging veteran player who had something left in the tank if you squinted your eyes real hard and believed in the magic of a pinstripes. No one forced that on them. There’s nothing wrong with taking a flier on a veteran for a platoon job or bench spot or whatever, but at some point it became the Yankees’ only method of team building. That’s just silly.

The Yankees could not afford to do nothing at the deadline. They either had to go all-in and add pieces or wave the white flag and trade away some players. They did neither and made zero progress as a franchise — they’re no closer to contending or rebuilding. They’re just an overwhelmingly mediocre club that will need an unprecedented amount of farm system success to make their sub-luxury tax threshold plan work. The trade deadline changed nothing, but this coming offseason there have to be more than cosmetic changes. The Yankees need to overhaul their team-building philosophies.

It takes two to tango and I would argue the only thing worse than doing nothing would be sacrificing too much for incremental upgrades.

Blame Cashman et al for our farm and our offseason, don’t blame them for Ruben Amaro Jr. being a jackass!

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

“It takes two to tango and I would argue the only thing worse than doing nothing would be sacrificing too much for incremental upgrades.”

Ding ding ding ding ding!

RetroRob

As I mentioned yesterday, I would be more upset if I was a fan of the Mariners and my team held onto Morse and Morales. They are not contending and they should have turned those pieces into some prospects. The fact that those players — and others — weren’t moved yesterday pretty much says the asking prices were not reasonable.

I agree with the sentiment of Mike’s note, although a team can’t be a buyer and a seller at the same time. The Yankees seemed to wanted to buy but that also doesn’t mean they should strip the farm for minor upgrades.

lightSABR

Given the nasty sellers’ market, I think selling would have made a ton of sense. Trade Cano, trade Kuroda if he was willing to go to a contender, heck, trade Gardner and D-Rob. I would have been heartbroken to see my favorite players in other uniforms, and doubly heartbroken to see Mo’s last season go down in flames, but is the present situation any better?

Mo’s still not going to see the playoffs before he retires. Jeter, Kuroda, Gardner, and D-Rob will all be gone by the time the Yankees are good again. Cano and Sabathia might still be around, but they’ll suck, and we’ll all be whining about their awful contracts that kept them way past their prime.

If we’d sold, we’d have brought in players that might make us contenders as early as 2015. As is, mediocrity is this team’s future as far as the eye can see.

Lefftee

Well said and I couldn’t agree with you more the problem is our tightwad owner and inept GM have no fucking clue how to do business. Not only should’ve we sold cano and Kuroda but we need Hal to sell this team and until them we will go no where

I’m One

They should get some salary relief with the A-Rod suspension upcoming, but we don’t know how much that will be. Still, definitely not enough. My feelings were basically the same; management needed to either pull of some good trades to improve the team or sell. Doing nothing doesn’t help this year or future seasons. Definitely disappointing.

Iron Horse

I was under the impression that if A-Rod is suspended, his salary still counts…? My biggest beef with Cashman and the organization is that they have had a ton of pitching prospects and either brought them up way too soon, traded them away, or ruined them before they had a chance to show what they could do…and let’s face it, Cashman’s draft selections have been absolutely the worst…Andrew Brackman?
This is the guy who was convinced Igawa was a major league talent lol…

Pseudoyanks

Great summary Mike. Here we sit, stuck in the middle.

trr

I love the thread title, kudos Mike!

Coolerking101

This post is by far the most astute discussion of the state of the Yankees I have read anywhere. That includes every NY newspaper and online column. GREAT job Mike!

JU

Being stuck in the middle is the worst part. This team is so mediocre, and at some point you need to acknowledge that you don’t have what it takes to make any type of noise this year. And honestly, I could be ok with that if they would just get off the fence. If they don’t believe there are moves out there that would make this team a serious contender, then how about doing something proactive for once and sell? They could have possibly traded Cano, Hughes, and maybe even Kuroda if he allowed it, and made significant strides toward rebuilding their roster. Instead, they made a trade for the sake of making a trade (Soriano), and even overpaid for that. That .280 OBP is really gonna put them over the top this year!

Tim

I don’t think this piece is entirely fair. NY tried to sign younger free agents in Schierholtz, Hairston and Drew to address some of their issues. The players were not interested. Ownership seemed to have tied his hands on Martin and in retrospect that appears to be unfortunate. But adding Russell Martin to this offense wouldn’t fix all the problems that happened as a result of Tex and Granderson being injured for virtually the entire season when they appeared healthy while the team was being built.

Take 2 of the 3-4 best hitters off any other contender and they would likely be in a worse position than NY right now.

Cashman’s Mistress

Martin adds three wins to this team. That’s not enough but it puts them in much better shape, now and for next year. Given all of their other moves, that one is the worst. They spent his money on Wells alone, for chrisakes.

JLC 776

Losing Martin was unacceptable (an okay hitting catcher who hates the Red Sox? And we let him go? For shame…)

I think, at the time, we were expecting this team to have Tex, Granderson, A-Rod, and, before too long, Jeter, so passing on a contract to Martin and focusing on Cervelli and Stewart wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

But then lots of shit happened.

Cashman’s Mistress

BS. Cervelli couldn’t hit in AAA last year with an oar. And Stewart was never going to hit. Romine has never showed anything or stayed healthy. And nothing else was close.

They were willing to give Martin a $20M extension in March of 2012. Then they got cheap. Stop making excuses.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

“Cervelli couldn’t hit in AAA last year with an oar”

Yay only using 1 year sample sizes with guys coming off an injury!

Cashman’s Mistress

Wow, are you Cashman’s new mistress? You are just full of excuses.

Cervelli has never hit, ever. And he’s not a good catcher either. Relying on him and Martin was idiocy.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

Baaahahahaha.

Karate? The Dane Cook of martial arts? No, ISIS agents use Krav Maga.

Cashman’s Mistress

Wow, look at that Logic!

FAIL!

Funny how you can only defend Cashman to a point. Then you have nothing, nothing at all.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

Hey, I know you’re upset, but if you ever mention my mother’s loins or their frothiness to me again, I don’t know what I’ll do … but it will be bad. Now let’s go bury this dead hooker.

stuart a

he was hitting in the majors before he got hurt..

look at his #’s.

Former ACE MannyGeee

You are willing to use a small sample size of Cervellis inability to hit (2012), but you are unwilling to use an equally small sample size to defend his ability (beginning of 2013).

And before you accuse me of being a Cashman apologist, I thought not re-signing Martin without a plan was idiotic. This is more about your cherry picking of small sample sizes to fit the narrative, which is also shitty.

Cashman’s Mistress

It’s not just 2012, it’s his entire career.

Cool Lester Smooth

417 PA is a similar sample size to 61 PA?

Where am I?

Former ACE MannyGeee

Similar in that they’re both small and not significant if you put the story together. He had a shitty year last year after battling an injury, came into spring strong, earned the starting job and now is injured.

In context, the story is alot more telling than the snippits chosen to fit the narrative. Was this spring a fluke? maybe. But one piece without the other is nothing more than pandering to your story despite factual evidence.

Cool Lester Smooth

If you add his start in 2013 to his stats in 2012, Cervelli still comes out as a well below average hitter.

Cool Lester Smooth

C’mon, Jim. We all know that Cervelli isn’t a good hitter.

I mean, he’s only managed to be as good offensively as Martin was last year once in his career.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

I’m not arguing that Cervelli is as good as Martin.

The goal was still 189!!! at that point. I was arguing that at what you’d pay for Cervelli, you could get equivalent value for what you’d pay for Martin.

Cervelli at league minimum providing league average production would have been a perfectly acceptable solution to me.

Cashman’s Mistress

Cervelli has never, ever show he could be league average. If he had, he wouldn’t have been stashed in AAA for all of 2012.

Logic FAIL.

As for the payroll, that’s not my problem, nor is it the Yankees’. They will turn a profit any way you cut it. You’re just defending their owner who wants to maximize profits. And you’re having to bend yourself into pretzels to do it.

Now go rub your genitals in some scalding candle wax. It’ll boost your ego even more than being right on the internet.

Cashman’s Mistress

That wouldn’t be logical.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

Oh trust me. Once you experience it, you’ll never need to use logic again.

Caballo Sin Nombre

Cervelli has a lifetime OPS+ of 90. That’s about average for catchers.

Cool Lester Smooth

My point is that there’s a bigger difference between Martin and Stewvelli than there is between Ichiro and random waiver wire fodder like Chris Dickerson.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

I wanted to re-sign Martin. I’m not arguing it was the right move to let him go.

I’m just saying it’s not a black and white calculation, like some people are positing.

Tim

The Wells move has nothing to do with Martin. The decision on Martin was made in November. Wells was not acquired until after Tex and Granderson were injured.

Cashman’s Mistress

Wells showed they clearly had the money.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

After they got it back from the WBC.

jsbrendog

wells’ salary was paid for by teixeira’s insurance money from the wbc. so no.

Cashman’s Mistress

How is it you all have the same BS? 1. That insurance money ended when he came off the DL; 2. It doesn’t explain 2014.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

Oh shit, is it 2014 already?

jsbrendog

do you always change your argument from it’s original state when someone shows you you’re wrong?

Cashman’s Mistress

Nice try, except, no one has shown that. Wells cost real money, money they supposedly didn’t have. Where all you homers think the money they got back came from Teixeira, that money ended after he came back and it doesn’t explain 2014.

Again, you do not know what you are talking about. The DL money ended when Teixeira came back. That’s #1.

#2 is still the opportunity cost, something some of you have no understanding of. They’ll still play Wells.

#3 They’re still spending $230M. To assume they couldn’t afford Martin is to make an ass of yourself.

QED, fancy accounting aside.

jsbrendog

for fuck sake can you read? seriously? yes. he came back june 1. those numbers are based off of that. since you can’t even follow rudimentary math and facts then it is time i ignore you. i am amazed at how ignorant some people can be to try and fit their square argument into a round hole.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

brendog, leave it be.

Cashman’s Mistress

Another example of fanboys bending themselves into pretzels to justify the Yankees maximizing profits at the expense of wins. Good job! I bet they have a job for you as a seat usher.

Cashman’s Mistress

How cute! You use nicknames with each other!

Now kiss.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

heh. fanboys. I’ve been voting 6-7 in the polls every week.

I am a polyanna though. It’s true.

Former ACE MannyGeee

Is it possible then that YOU are wrong? NO? We’re all wrong and you’re right? OK, seems legit.

jsbrendog

im wrong about what? the facts i present that make him wrong?

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

He’s responding to CM, not you :)

jsbrendog

a 1000 pardons then. i’m just all flustered here.

Former ACE MannyGeee

All good js… this thing is a cluster.

Bubba

Only if you believe the ludicrous fld rating he is given. Russell would make this team better but not by that much. They did not spend “his money” on Wells. Wells money came from the insurance savings from Tex’s injury.

Cashman’s Mistress

I believe the pitch receiving metrics. He’s made the Pirates’ pitchers better. And his offense is far better than the slop the Yankees had in store.

As for Wells, insurance money was done as soon as he came off the DL. And it certainly didn’t cover next year.

Look, it’s ridiculous to think the Yankees, with a $230M payroll, couldn’t afford a decent catcher. Stop making excuses.

The Yankees have a $230M payroll. But they couldn’t afford a 3-4 WAR catcher for $15M/ 2 years?

How’s that for logic, bitch?

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

“But they couldn’t afford a 3-4 WAR catcher for $15M/ 2 years?”

For someone who likes to use WAR and criticizes Cervelli for past performance, you’re awfully selective about ignoring Martin’s last 5 years.

Cashman’s Mistress

Nice, logic, except even Martin at his worst is:

a) Far better than Stewart/Cervelli/Romine
b) Worth the salary he got from the first place Pirates.

QED

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

“But they couldn’t afford a 3-4 WAR catcher for $15M/ 2 years?”

Yeah, that’s all I responded to. Not sure where I said that he wasn’t a) or b)

But hindsight is fun, yes. Just like the fact that we should have signed Mr. -1 WAR Reynolds.

Cashman’s Mistress

Nice strawman. Anyone with a pulse knew losing Martin was a mistake, especially for the cost. That’s foresight, not hindsight. Clearly you do not know the difference.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

And your shoes! Because how hard is it to poach a goddamn egg properly? Seriously, that’s like Eggs 101, Woodhouse.

Cool Lester Smooth

If you believe in pitch framing, Martin is definitely a 3-4 WAR guy.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

I doubt it’s as big of a factor as the studies have shown. But we have to add on that same bonus to Stewart and Cervelli, both of whom rated highly as well.

Cashman’s Mistress

No they are not, and it’s not particularly close. Cervelli is actually a mediocre defensive catcher, though he was showing some improvement this year.

Keep trying to pull logic out of your ass though. It’s cute in a monkey playing the accordion kind of way.

Cool Lester Smooth

Martin is the best non-Molina pitch framer in the league.

Cervelli isn’t very good, Stewart might be near Martin’s level, but he’s awful at every other aspect of the game.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

Cashman’s Mistress, I love you.

Bubba

But it covered all of this years salary. Next year Wells costs the Yankees about 2Mill and if I remember correctly his salary number is negative. Not excuses just facts.

Assuming Martin made the Pirates pitchers better is a huge leap. Our old friend AJ showed considerable improvement LAST year when the Pirates recommended he de-emphasize his 4 seamer and throw his sinker more.

Cashman’s Mistress

So two months of Teixeira’s salary covers Wells? I don’t think so. Moreover, next year he’s still on the fcuking team. What’s the impact of the opportunity cost?

As for Martin, it’s not just Burnett…and of course he actually hits too.

Bubba

What’s the opportunity cost? How about nothing. Wells will be around as long as his salary helps for luxury tax purposes and then they will probably release him.

What’s the opportunity cost of resigning a C who was sporting a sub 200/300/400 and sub 90 wRC+ through August? Martin is better than Stewvelli, just not even close to the degree that you seem to believe.

Cool Lester Smooth

So, what you’re saying is that he was much, much better offensively than Stewart through August, and then got hot in September?

Bubba

Better, not much, much better.

Cool Lester Smooth

I consider .080 of OPS much, much better.

Cashman’s Mistress

Clearly you do not know what an opportunity cost means.

Look at this way: Playing Wells means they are not playing and developing other players.

One only needs to look to where that leads is this year’s overpriced past-prime (OPP) slop fest. Justin Maxwell or CHris Dickerson have more of place on this team than does Vernon Wells. Yet, that was never a choice because the Yankees don’t do development.

You down with OPP?

Bubba

Was he keeping us from the Melky Mesa Experience? If any of the three amigos (Williams, Heathcott and Austin) were in AAA and raking, you might have a leg to stand on.

There is this thing called situational awareness. Look it up.

Cashman’s Mistress

On Martin, it’s not what I believe. It’s the entire history of Martin’s career.

jsbrendog

5:27pm: Despite their attempt at some fancy accounting, Ken Rosenthal has confirmed the Yankees will not receive any kind of “credit” towards the $189M luxury tax threshold in 2014. Wells will simply count as zero dollars for the luxury tax. At least that makes him easy to designate for assignment.

3:21pm: The Yankees have gone from dumpster diving to desperation in their search for outfield help. The Bombers have (finally) acquired Vernon Wells from the Angels in exchange for minor leaguers Exicardo Cayones and Kramer Sneed, the team announced. The Halos will pay $28.1M of the $42M left on his contract according to Mike DiGiovanna, and Jeff Fletcher says New York will pay him $11.5M this year and $2.4M in 2014.

if you do the math, don’t worry, i didn it for you since it may take you awhile, the yankees received $7,916,667 from teixeira’s injury insurance from the wbc. Therefore they are only paying vernon wells $3.6 million this year. this in no way emans they could have afforded russel martin based on ownership. this was in response to injuries and never wouldbve happened had teix and grandy not gotten hurt. also, they prob still couldnt “afford” this within their plan but it is easier to go $3.6 mil over a budget than $7.5-8 mil esp when you think your team can cover up offensive deficiencies at catcher like 80% of mlb teams.

plus as it says above, in an article you probably read,ZERO towards the lux tax calculation next year.

but i’ll stop presenting facts since you can’t tell the difference between them and excuses.

Cashman’s Mistress

You think you’re adding something when the base facts show the Yankees could have afforded Martin. No amount of creative accounting hides their huge payroll advantage. To argue otherwise is to show your own homeroticism. Only the fanboys are bending over backwards trying to explain away the idiocy that was letting Martin walk with nothing but slop to replace him.

But keep trying. It’s cute.

jsbrendog

you don’t read/listen gud do you?

Cashman’s Mistress

Funny how well fanboys have nothing they resort to ad hominem.

Keep trying to defend how $230M payroll didn’t have room for a starting catcher. It shows how little sense you have.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

“Funny how well fanboys have nothing they resort to ad hominem. ”

Says the guy who’s called me a bitch, a monkey, an idiot, among other things.

Former ACE MannyGeee

In fairness, Pittsburg’s rotation is semi re-vamped. Are they pitching better because of Martin, or are they pitching better because they’re actually better? Cole & Liriano are new, Locke & MOrton are young and developing, and AJ BUrnett is what he is…

But whatevs, the narrative I suppose

Slugger27

very little about the piece is fair. id hate it less if mike actually mentions any real life examples or possibilities of what they couldve done, but he doesnt. the reason he doesnt is there werent really any options. i realize writing this im going to get bombarded with the tired “they shouldve signed martin!!!” line, but its clear ownership wanted ichiro instead and there wasnt anything cashman could do about it, so its not really worth discussing anymore.

they targeted younger players to fill holes and those younger players all declined the offers. then their 2nd and 3rd best hitters got hurt. then they went out and got the best bat on the trading market, limited as that bat was.

mike spends the first paragraph complaining they didnt do anything, then talks about all the (obvious) reasons of why they didnt do anything, then complains about them not doing anything again. any specific examples of a missed opportunity? nowhere to be found.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

“any specific examples of a missed opportunity? nowhere to be found.”

Yeah, this.

If Mike wants a commentariat of parrots and bridge jumpers, he’s on the right track.

jsbrendog

hes been this way all year. it is wearing super thin.

Cashman’s Mistress

Truth hurts, pray tell?

Slugger27

its not the truth that hurts. its his analysis.

jsbrendog

i have no problem with the truth. the truth is the yankees are a poor team due to injuries that is lucky to be where they are despite playing so many scrubs and their solid pitching staff faltering. as a FAN (which it seems most of you know nothing about) i am excited for the last two months of the season because they have a chance to make the playoffs. a lot of ifs but if cc can regain his form, pineda can give anything in september, pettitte can stay healthy and consistent and grandy, jeter, cano can hit how they should thn this team could easily get a wild card birth and then if they get lucky or hot become the 6th WC team to win the WS. Is it likely? probably not, but it is possible. Cause you root for your team even when they suck. You don’t give up and watch something else. for fuck sake that is the truth and it’s fine.

the WAHHHHHHH YANKESSSS IM ENTITLED WAHHHHHH is the idiotic drivel. you know what? if they don’t make the playoffs for a couple years? who the fuck cares? then they regroup and try again. this is a team that has historically been one of the best ever and has come back fine after lulls and valleys.

i embrace the truth. you’re the one who can’t handle it broski

Cashman’s Mistress

Entitled? They spend $230M and charge the highest prices in the game. Now that they’re cutting payroll, will they be cutting prices?

Who cares? Clearly you do, enough to justify idiotic choices based on money they clearly have.

The rest of us with clear eyes know it’s the choices that put them in this situation, not luck or pluck or fcuk, the choices they made years ago and that will haunt this team for years to come. We are criticizing those choices.

Coolerking101

I’m glad you don’t mind watching a crappy team. I’m glad you are a fan through thick and thin. Kudos. That should make the rest of 2013 and 2014 extra special for you. When the Steinbrenners decide to save $$$ to put an inferior product on the field and still get you to pay them the same or more money, I’m sure they’re extra happy about it.

But for the rest of us, especially those of us who lived through the 80’s and 90’s, we prefer to have a winning team or at least a team with young prospects to root for. What we have is neither and it’s our right as fans to make our unhappiness known and to DEMAND the Yankees do something about it. That something, needs to be more than sitting on their behinds and telling us they signed a bunch of great guys this past off-season. Mike nails it in his post. Just sitting in the middle is not acceptable.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

“But for the rest of us, especially those of us who lived through the 80?s and 90?s,”

That makes you the best.

Coolerking101

Your ability to insult without offering any meaningful commentary clearly makes you the best.

The Big City of Dreams

He’s just calling it like he sees it though. The other way is to paint rosy everything is fine picture.

Slugger27

If Mike wants a commentariat of parrots and bridge jumpers, he’s on the right track.

hes already there

Cool Lester Smooth

Yup.

Coolerking101

He doesn’t give examples of missed opportunities b/c he’s been giving examples for the last 5 months. How many times do you want the guy to repeat himself?

Cool Lester Smooth

Tell me who was available at this deadline that they didn’t get.

All I see in this deadline is that the Yankees picked up the best bat available in Alfonso Soriano.

Coolerking101

You’re missing the point. The post isn’t simply complaining that they failed to make a move. It’s complaining about terrible choices that put them in the current situation. I also think the post is suggesting that if they can’t be buyers and improve the team, they needed to be sellers…b/c sitting in the middle and doing nothing just insures you have a middling team for years to come.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

Nope. This post was only about the trade deadline.

Cool Lester Smooth

Irony: the spice of life.

Coolerking101

“They purposefully downgraded the lineup over the winter and got burned when the regulars started getting hurt, and now they’re desperate.”

Ummm….sure. Only about the deadline. No other commentary here.

Mickey rivers

Agree, so much wrong with this article/rant. Over the last few weeks especially RAB sounds daily like a whining teenage Yankee fan site.

The market sucked, why give kids away for lame stop gaps? as if management doesn’t have balls….maybe they have a plan! And Mike how do you know the response of GMs on the other side of the phone…I mean, cmon. And, Soriano and cash for Corey Black, an overpay….huh?

I’ll sit back and watch the yanks continue to impress, happily not filling up on more overhyped veterans, with a great position on the waiver wire, guys earning real money coming back to play with a lot to prove, and they can make up a lot of ground with a hot month. A lot to look forward to, 3 games out of the wildcard.

Cheer up RAB….and get real, Mike.

Tom T

This off-season was worthy of criticism, especially if the reports are true about the back-and-forth nature of ownership’s desire to get under the luxury tax. However, doesn’t this really just come down to one or two very specific alternatives they could have gone with — Russell Martin and maybe Nate Schierholtz over Ichiro? Besides that what would you have had them do, piss on a compensation pick and give Nick Swisher four years? We’d all be complaining about the insta-albatross, even if he is an upgrade.

The recent run of extreme-vets-only isn’t indefensible given the limited roster flexibility that they have due to the long-term deals they have. You can snag flawed vets for one-year deals or overpay for long-term contracts. The Yanks have decided to choose the former (they probably assumed their farm system would have developed a little better than it has to complement the veterans). At least they don’t have any more awful contracts than they already do.

Tisha

They will if they tie themselves to Cano for 8 years or more.

Cashman’s Mistress

This. And yet, what choice do they have? He’s their only run producer. So they’ll overpay as they did for Teixeira, A-Roid, even Jeter.

They shouldn’t sign Cano. But I honestly don’t see how they can’t. And Hal Levine will think he’s keeping fans happy by doing so, just as they did with Jeter and Aroid (Teixeira’s all on Cashman).

Tim

If Tex is on Cashman that is significantly less of a contract problem than Randy Levine signing Arod. Tex’s contract was the going rate for a 1B at that time.

Cashman’s Mistress

a) They didn’t need the bat at the time
b) Giambi showed that a long-term deal to a 1B was a mistake waiting to happen
c) Posada could have taken more reps at 1B; instead they pushed him into retirement

On A-Roid, Levine was always a moron. Cashman promised a youth movement.

jsbrendog

the fact that jorge posada was a below league average htiter who showed his age in his final season is probably just an excuse right? and not a fact?

By the end we all thought the contract, not the player, was a mistake.

Cool Lester Smooth

Yeah, but that’s because he had a low batting average, not because it was an awful contract.

OldYanksFan

While he missed a number of AB due to injury, over 7 years, he averaged a .925 OPS for the Yanks… at $2m/yr less than Jeter.

It could have worked out better, but Giambi’s contract was not bad at all.

Almost all prime FA’s are overpaid (especially in years). It’s a question of whether teams are willing to take a hit on the backend in exchange for elite production on the front end.

Cashman’s Mistress

In hindsight it was not, agreed. In the last two years, the Yankees wanted to be done with him (Torre especially). To Giambi’s credit, he stayed productive.

Former ACE MannyGeee

1. You always need a bat of Tex 2009 caliber, and also a HELL of a defender. Such a great defender in fact, that if memory serves, his defense saved a game for the team in the 2009 WS.

2. Giambi and Tex could not be more opposite, outside of them both being 1B.

3. Posada was not only a mediocre defender at 1B, but by the end of his time here, he looked COOKED. Also, Posada’s exit and Tex’s signing overlapped by two years.

But fuck it, the narrative….

Cool Lester Smooth

Not to mention that Teixeira was 3 years younger than Giambi was at the start of the contract.

Cashman’s Mistress

Teixeira was also far, far less productive at his peak.

Former ACE MannyGeee

Offensively, sure. He was a defensive liability though.

Also, is this where you tell us that Giambi’s PED use (which coincided with his monster peak seasons) was no big thing, but A-Rod’s PED use (which not only put Giambi’s to shame, but also brought a World Series to NY) was/is a travesty?

Cashman’s Mistress

1. The 2009 Yankees didn’t. A guy like Overbay (2009 vintage) would have been fine. Teixeira’s defense is over rated. The metrics suggest he’s average over his career.

2. Outside of them being 1B? That’s exactly the point – they are not giving value anywhere else on the field.

3. I’m not saying Posada would have been great shakes, but giving him more time there may have been a way to extend his career.

Cool Lester Smooth

1B fielding metrics don’t mean shit. Full stop.

If anything, they underrate Teixeira who is, by all accounts, an elite defensive 1B.

Former ACE MannyGeee

Posada was still catching when Tex was signed. Two different conversations.

Tex’s defense is far and away better than anyone we’ve seen at the position in a decade (non-Mientkiewicz division). Plus, he kinda hit 35+ home runs for a few years in a row. He was a MORE complete player than Giambi, hands down.

Also, if you are HONESTLY comparing Tex and Loverbay (or the Loverbay equivalent) back in 2008/9, then I think you are deflating your own point.

Tim

And for people that wanted to trade what if the cost of a rental was say Austin or Heathcoat for 2 months of Young, Morse or Morales. Personally I would be glad the deal wasn’t made and by all accounts that is the type of range Jack Z was looking for. Obviously a lot of teams felt the prices were unreasonable due to the entire lack of movement across the sport.

JLC 776

It was the same for Ruben Amaro Jr regarding picking up Young or Ruiz.

RAJ flat out rejected the Yankees picking up ALL of Young’s salary and throwing in a high-level prospect. And then didn’t even want to discuss Ruiz, who he said earlier was available. Philadelphia (I live in Philly and am listening to talk radio right now) wants Ruben’s head right now for passing this up (although Riley Cooper has taken most of the news).

Tisha

not surprised . I saw and Heard Amaro on MLB Network and he flat out said that Ruiz and Young WERE available.
He wanted Cashman to pay through the nose. It just goes to show how stupid he is . If the Yankees were offering to give him salary relief , taking on Young’s entire remaining salary and adding a top level prospect with a mid level one for Young and Ruiz, he is an certifiable idiot. No reason the Philly fans are pissed off.

Cashman’s Mistress

I don’t agree. He owes the Yankees nothing. And like Cashman, I have little doubt he’d rather give the illusion of contention than waiving the white flag. If he’s an idiot, Cashman is in a vegetative state.

Bubba

Are you his spurned mistress?

Tim

Phillies are 9 back of a wild card spot, Yankees are 3. Those are completely different versions of contending. NY has made an upgrade at 2 positions and has another being activated on Friday. Philly has none of that.

Amaro doesn’t “owe” NY anything. But he should be trying to improve his organization either with prospects for the future or cash to use in FA to bring in guys for next year.

JLC 776

The Phillies look terrible right now. They’ve lost 9 out of 10, are almost double digits away from a WC spot, and have players publically denouncing the entire organization. They even CALLED UP A REPLACEMENT 3B so they could trade Young… and then didn’t trade Young.

The Yankees offered to pay Young’s salary and throw in a free lottery ticket. This would have been a steal for the Phils.

No, RAJ doesn’t owe Cashman anything, but he does owe his own organization something. Maybe he thought the Red Sox would swoop in at the last second, but he failed big time.

Cashman not getting Young or Ruiz is not on Cashman.

Robinson Tilapia

Yet Cashman failed.

OldYanksFan

I have to ask…. is your anus sore?

Cashman’s Mistress

Cashman is the catcher.

pat

That high level prospect was allegedly Tommy Kahnle.

Tisha

Morales would be more than 1 year. He is a FA after 2014 season.

Tim

No he is not. He avoided arbitration with a 1 year deal. He is a free agent in 2 months.

sangreal

That’s not how it works. He will still be under team control and arbitration eligible again next year when the contract expires. He isn’t a free agent until he has no contract AND he has the service time unless the team decides to non-tender him

sangreal

I should clarify, I have no idea when Morales is a free agent. I just mean it doesn’t matter that he accepted a 1-year contract instead of going through arbitration. That’s pretty normal for any player under team control

Slu

I would do that deal. Chances are these prospects never amount to anything.

mitch

The off season was definitely poor, but it’s hard to knock the lack of trade deadline moves. Nobody got traded that really should have been a prime target for the Yankees. Maybe the prices really were too high for their targets. If Young got traded to another team for a bag of balls then it’d be a lot easier to complain.

Cashman’s Mistress

I agree there was little to be had, but Mike has it exactly right. No team is obligated to help the Yankees. And if there’s a chance to kick sand on them, why not? The Yankees make a ton of cash. The last owner put those profits back into the team. This owner lines his family’s pockets.

That said, Cashman deserves a huge chunk of the blame. This problem isn’t just this off-season and this year. The GM has constantly been lazy in signing overpriced past-prime players his entire tenure. Where he (and many) thought Teixeira was some great move, any one with a pulse knew that contract would become an albatross. Teixeira was never the player Giambi was and we all saw Giambi’s contract as an albatross.

Of course, do we need to discuss Igawa and Pavano?

Tisha

comparing Tex to Giambi is silly. Giambi could not carry Tex’s glove. He never hit the homeruns or rbis that Tex has done.
How many runs does Tex save in most games? How many did Giambi cost ?

Cashman’s Mistress

You don’t know what you are talking about. Giambi was far, far more productive than Teixeira has ever been. Part of that may have been PEDs, but Giambi actually earned his whole contract. Teixeira never will.

As for defense at first base, it’s vastly overrated. In most games, there are few if any plays the 1B has to make. Yes, a few plays a week could matter but even then few of those lead to runs.

We really forget how amazing Giambi was in reaching base. Dude was exactly what was right about their offense then. His contract was an albatross, especially at 1b/DH, but by all accounts, he earned the full contract which ended up a minor miracle. Teixeira will never come close to earning his.

Pretty disingenuous to compare 7 years of Giambi to 5 years of Tex when you’re using accumulated stats for the comparison.

Tim

And wouldn’t a win have cost less during Giambi’s deal than during Tex’s?

Cashman’s Mistress

Sure, but even call it $4M a win and Giambi gets close. Teixeira never will.

Cashman’s Mistress

Not when the question is WAR for dollars. That’s the point of a contract, you’re paying for value. Giambi earned his. Teixeira won’t come close.

Tisha

comparing Tex to Giambi is silly. Giambi could not carry Tex’s glove. He never hit the homeruns or rbis that Tex has done.
How many runs does Tex save in most games? How many did Giambi cost ?

LK

I don’t think you can knock the team for not buying if the prices were too high; however, once they weren’t going to be buyers, they really needed to sell off what they could to try to extract some future value. They’re not likely to make the playoffs standing pat, so they needed to do something to try to improve in future seasons.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

But what exactly could we sell outside of Kuroda and Cano?

Why is standing pat not an option? If Granderson comes back healthy, is it that unrealistic to see us catching the other flawed teams in the AL WC race?

IMO, the odds of us making the playoffs this year were greater than the increased odds of us making the playoffs in future years had we traded our mediocre pieces.

If you wanted to sell sell sell, that’s fine, but I’m surprised(or maybe not) that a ton of people aren’t acknowledging that a 3 game deficit is not insurmountable.

Slugger27

i dont think its insurmountable but it seems very unlikely to be made up. the teams the yankees are chasing did things to improve their rosters. i guess technically the yankees did with soriano, but i wouldve been fine with them trading kuroda and/or cano. they can always just resign cano in the offseason.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

Sure it’s unlikely. BP has it at 10%, although they aren’t predicting based on roster construction and the guys we’ve gotten back.

“but i wouldve been fine with them trading kuroda and/or cano”

Sure, that’s fine. I just think that looking at it from Cash’s perspective, that would have been pretty dang unpopular on the streets of NY and in the YSIII seats(not that it gets that much worse than it’s been this year).

Robinson Tilapia

I’ll bet one one million internet dollars that, if the Yankees were to have let Cano go at the deadline, he’d never come back. How’s that for a bet that’s literally impossible to follow up on?

Fans of a team that has a reasonable, if still somewhat of a longshot chance, of making the playoffs deserve to see their team fight for that shot. I think it’s far, far worse to send the message to a fanbase that, even though you can see a path to the playoffs, you’re going to punt on it instead.

jsbrendog

seriously, two fucking months left. this is going to be exciting with grandy and jeter coming back.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

“this is going to be exciting with grandy and jeter coming back.”

More exciting if I stop pissing myself off by being a masochist and reading RAB comments :)

jsbrendog

yeah, i think i need to find a new site, which is a shame.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

Meh. The regulars here are still better than most regulars elsewhere.

Someday, maybe in 2050, 2100, 3000, I’ll learn to stop feeding the trolls and only get into discussions with people who aren’t here to fluff their feathers and win arguments.

Tim

For the second wild card the Yankees are chasing Cleveland, who traded for LHRP, less than NY did. Texas, who is about to lose their second best hitter to Biogensis and already needed a bat. Baltimore, who didn’t add offense and has been struggling as Davis and Machado have regressed some.

I don’t see a lot of improvements that were greater than NY adding Soriano. I think the pitching can improve when they don’t have to win every game with a shutout.

LK

“Why is standing pat not an option? If Granderson comes back healthy, is it that unrealistic to see us catching the other flawed teams in the AL WC race?

IMO, the odds of us making the playoffs this year were greater than the increased odds of us making the playoffs in future years had we traded our mediocre pieces.

If you wanted to sell sell sell, that’s fine, but I’m surprised(or maybe not) that a ton of people aren’t acknowledging that a 3 game deficit is not insurmountable.”

It’s not the 3 game deficit that makes the playoffs unlikely, it’s the number of teams between them and a playoff spot. If they had to make up 3 games on one team they’d have a very decent chance, because how that other team plays would be a big variable. As it is, it’s highly probable that one of the 3 of Cleveland, Baltimore, and Texas will play well over the rest of the season. In order for the Yankees to make the playoffs, they’re going to need to go on a legitimate run. It’s not impossible, but it’s a low enough probability where I think even minor upgrades for future seasons were worth admitting that 2013 just wasn’t our year.

For what it’s worth – the Yankees estimated odds of making the playoffs are almost identical to the Royals. Do you think the Royals should’ve stood pat or sold?

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

The estimated odds don’t take into account Grandy and Jeter’s return, just saying. The royals don’t have any cavalry returning.

LK

That’s a fair point. However, Fangraphs’ projected standing do take those returns into account, and still have the Yanks finishing 8th in the AL (although better than the Royals). No matter how hard you squint, the odds this year are very bad.

I get your point that there’s no reason to sell if you don’t like the prices, but at some point you have to accept that the market prices are what they are and not what you want them to be. You can only wait out the market and not do anything for so long, and it feels like the Yankees have been doing just that for a year and half.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

Agree, I just wish I could change the trade deadline to see what RAB was like if Cash had sold everything. No return was going to make people any happier than standing pat did.

LK

Oh, a lot of these people would be incessantly bitching regardless of what happened. I’m historically a pretty staunch Cashman defender, though; I’m just not a fan of the recent decisions (which may or may not actually be Cashman’s – and that’s probably what concerns me the most).

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

I’m not really a fan of his recent decisions either.I’m just trying to see both sides of it, and I’m not assuming(like other people here are; not you) that Cashman is automatically an idiot.

I think Cash’s hands have been tied a lot more than we realize, like you do. It worries me too.

LK

Sounds like we’re pretty much on the same page. One thing’s for sure – if they do pull out a playoff spot after all these offseason downgrades/injuries/atrocious offensive performances, it’s going to be one hell of an awesome stretch run.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

I’m going to be a smug sonofabitch if we make the playoffs.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

But I think the Royals should have sold if the price was right, bought if THAT price were right, or stood pat if neither were. Same as with the Yankees.

Tim

I think it can be agreed that to this point NY has been worse than Cleveland, Baltimore and Texas this season.

Which team is most likely to improve? The one with below average hitters at 7 of 9 offensive positions with a ton of room to grow or the teams that have either been playing pretty well, have MVP candidates in career years, or the one about to have their 5 hole hitter suspended for juice?

LK

I think the Yankees have good odds to pass any one of those 3 teams. I think their odds of passing all 3 are pretty terrible.

The Yankees have below average hitters at 7 of 9 positions, but there’s only a couple of those 7 that they can actually expect improvement from.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

Well that’s what happens when more teams are involved.

Pocket Aces is a great hand heads up. Not so great against 3 random hands. Doesn’t mean you should give up.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

And yes I realize we don’t have a hand equivalent to pocket aces.

Robinson Tilapia

The market was so unclear, I’m not even sure the value was there. Callaspo was probably an overpay for Oakland, but did you see what Ian Kennedy got San Diego? What Bud Norris got Houston? I can’t understand for the life of me why Houston pulled the trigger there.

This didn’t look like a buyer or seller’s market in the end. It just looked like a bunch of shit all over. It’s going to take a few years in the 2-WC team era to figure out what the July deadline even means anymore.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

“I can’t understand for the life of me why Houston pulled the trigger there.”

Really? A high upside electric LHP and a reasonable, high OBP projected 3/4 outfielder for a SP who’s basically league average at best?

Better question is why did Baltimore take the deal.

From all reports Hader was in Baltimore’s top 5 and Hoes was in their top 10.

Robinson Tilapia

Was Hader the second guy? When I read the write-up, it had Hoes as the lead guy.

I don’t get the deal for Baltimore either, for the same reason, but I think that, if you’re the still-rebuilding team, you only sell on the cost-controlled guy who could still be a part of things moving forward for a king’s ransom. Maybe I’m going the earliest of trade reports, but it didn’t read that way to me at the time.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

Yep, Hader. Obviously just a lottery ticket, but a pretty good lottery ticket.

Norris wouldn’t have gotten a king’s ransom though. He’s pretty much been a ~1.5 WAR pitcher his entire career. Baltimore basically acquired a 4/5 starter. A need for them? Absolutely. But I think they overpaid.

LK

I think the disconnect is whether you consider Norris to be a “cost-controlled guy who could still be a part of things moving forward.” I think he’s basically a swingman-type in the end.

Rebuild

I don’t mind. I’m a lifelong Yankee fan and I don’t think there is really any reasonable chance of the Yankees putting together a legitimately contending team right now.

The older players on the roster are simply too much of a drag, and the free agent market has been very soft in recent years. Mauer? Pujols? Hamilton? There have been more FA disappointments than successes.

It won’t hurt the Yankees to miss the playoffs for a few years, to play .500 ball or worse for a while. They can use these seasons to acquire better players in the draft and rebuild the organization.

I know it isn’t the Yankee way to do this, but let’s face it, the late ’90s/’00s dynasty years wouldn’t have been possible without the late ’80s and early ’90s futility years. And yes, I know, the rules have changed alot since those years, it’s harder to draft well, it’s harder to buy players on the international market, etc. But the fact is, some teams know how to succeed by doing the right things with the lower levels of the organization. Look at St. Louis, Tampa, and, although they are struggling a bit now, Minnesota.

I say, let this team die. Cash in. Why fight? They have as close to a 0% chance of winning the pennant or the World Series as you could have even if they did somehow manage to get a wild card spot.

Just let it go.

Cashman’s Mistress

This is exactly right, and it’s why I gave up my season tix. The fans should simply flee the team. And you know what? Hal and his buddies will still turn a profit.

We now have Donald Sterling as owner. Shudder.

Rebuild

Can’t tell if you’re agreeing or being sarcastic, but either way, I’m not suggesting fans desert the team. Just that we get real, accept that not only can’t we win the WS every year, we can’t reasonably think we can make the playoffs every year, at least not indefinitely. We had a great run. The organization is really, really old and needs to purge and cleanse.

Robinson Tilapia

Yes, but I think it’s more systematic than “trade everyone at a point where the team is 2.5 games behind in the Wild Card race,” as so many fans who just want to know what it’s like to be those folks on the other side of town for once.

They’ll never live like common people, though.

fat jeter

I appreciate the optimism, but can we please pass at least 1 of the 3 teams ahead of us before we talk about how close we are? The Yankees simply are not winning enough right now to position themselves to make a reasonable enough run and pass 3 teams over the next 2 months. It’s certainly not impossible, but it’s going to take a little bit more than Granderson to bridge that gap. The other teams have to lose too. The attitude of some here is not about giving up, fleeing the organization, or secretly wanting to know what it’s like to be Mets or Royals fans. The attitudes of others… well, I don’t really want to comment. I really enjoyed this particular article of Mike’s because it pretty much lines up 100% with my thinking and it’s just a realistic view of what’s going on right now. I simply don’t think there is much of a plan right now as it is really hard to decipher just what the goal of this organization currently is. Seems very strange to me that if you have a goal to cut payroll down to 189, you wouldn’t increase it to 230 the year prior. Its strange that in 05 a passionate Cashman wrestled sole control of this team to only criticize ownership and Levine for going over his head and against his wishes on multiple occasions. Also strange that the mantra of younger and more athletic was replaced with the concept of “big, hairy monsters” and a collection of 30+ signings. My issue is the convenient excuses in regard to not signing so-and-so, injuries, and a bad market. All empires fall eventually, even evil ones.

Ps totally listened to the Pulp song I think you referenced while typing this, so I apologize if its a little disjointed.

pat

Don’t even fucking start with this Donald Sterling trash. You have no idea how spoiled you sound if you’re comparing the Steinbrenners to Donald effing Sterling.

Any team that gets in the playoffs has a chance to win the World Series. Last year Detroit and Texas were unbeatable 2-3 weeks before the playoffs started.

Cashman’s Mistress

This is not true and I hate that fans pretend it is. The playoffs are not like flipping a coin. Don’t you want the best players? Don’t they improve your chances?

That’s why the Red Sox go out and trade for Peavy.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

“Improved chances” != guarantee.

It might not be a coin flip. But even the best team in baseball is only winning 70% of it’s games. Losing 3/5 in a 5 game series to a team that won 50% of its games isn’t terrible unlikely.

If the playoffs aren’t a crapshoot, someone go tell the Cardinals or the 2000 Yankees.

Of course we want the best players. But ignoring that making the playoffs gives you a shot is just as stupid as pretending you don’t want to have the best players to maximize your odds.

Cashman’s Mistress

What? The 2000 Yankees had won two straight. Winning another wasn’t out fo the question.

The Cardinals had perhaps the best hitter and best pitcher in the game.

You are exactly the type of naive fan the Yankees are counting on. They aren’t good enough to compete, they are good enough (because of their checkbook) to hang around. Have fun with that.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

“What? The 2000 Yankees had won two straight. Winning another wasn’t out fo the question. ”

Yeah because last year’s success predicts this year’s success.

Cashman’s Mistress

If it’s the same core players, it does.

Just like last year’s Yankees showed how far they were from a championship, then they did nothing in the off-season to improve.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

Same core players all 1 year older? Sounds the same to me.

Last year the Yankees were 4 wins from the WS. Say what you will, them’s the facts.

Cashman’s Mistress

B.S. Those were four embarrassing losses. And you are conveniently forgetting the part where they lost three full-time starters and did nothing to replace them.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

So embarrassing losses are different than normal losses now? 0 wins is different than 0 wins? Needing 4 more wins is different than needing 4 more wins but losing badly instead of just losing by 1-2 runs?

I hope I get banned for this.

And yeah, our starting rotation is why we’re bad this year. That’s it. Must be. You’re a god damn, fucking genius for figuring that one out. It’s not our bottom 10% offense, nope. It’s our top 30% rotation. It’s not the incredibly unlucky rash of injuries we suffered, including injuries to guys like Granderson and Tex who don’t have the age excuse, it’s our starting rotation. WE FIGURED IT OUT, YOU GUYS. FIRE CASHMAN.
You’re a piece of work. You do a great job making friends around here. BUT IM NOT HERE TO MAKE FRIENDS, JUST USE LOGICAL LOGIC TO LOGIC MY LOGIC. Good way to live. You should go teach 5 year olds how to make friends. I’m sure they’d be a joy to grow up around. Teach people that only remembering when you’re right and never acknowledging when you’re wrong is the way to be. OH BUT HAHA I USE LOGIC, AND YOU DON’T. Yeah, fantastic. When it fits your narrative, but never else. Never actually owned up to wanting Reynolds, have you? IGNORE THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN. Nope, just pay attention to where I’m arguing NOW. Insult people and then hide behind GOOD AD HOMINEM when they insult you back. Good God. You know what? Everyone here deserves you. Mike deserves you. Dalelama deserves you. The Bastard deserves you. Troll deserves you. Hoss deserves you. Sal/Lanny/Bo deserves you. I hope you all have a fantastic little tea party with the Fucking Queen of England.

Dalek Jeter

Jim is a Heated Peckerhead

Robinson Tilapia

Jim is the Candle-waxed Balls.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

The 2012 Yankees made the ALCS. Making to another isn’t out of the question.

/your logic not mine

Mscott

Based on Cashman’s Mistress’ logic winning teams would win forever and losing teams would never stop losing.

Cashman’s Mistress

Nice strawman. Refute this, bitch.

a) Those Yankees barely made the ALCS
b) Those Yankees got embarrassed in the ALCS
c) Those Yankees lost three starters
d) Those Yankees weren’t improved upon in any way in the post-season

QED.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

Woodhouse, we got any lube? Like even olive oil at this point would … help me get that drawer unstuck.

Robinson Tilapia

Well, A and B are just stupid points stupid people would make.

C and D get counteracted by the fact that they’re in contention for a playoff spot RIGHT NOW.

Cashman’s Mistress

Funny how you dismiss A and B then say C and D are refuted by their current state.

A and B were directly related to each other. In any other sport, the rounds of the playoffs are easily used to justify the state of the team going into the off-season. Only in baseball do fans think a four game sweep had something to do with luck and bad breaks.

As for C and D, they are not a .500 club. Look at the wild card all you want, but this team is three players short of legit lineup. They have no chance in the post-season. None. Nothing. Nada. It’s a joke you even think so and plays right into the Yankees pretending as such while lining their pockets.

Pat D

A and B are essentially meaningless. They got to the ALCS, and they lost in the ALCS. How they got there and how they “looked” don’t matter.

But keep dreaming these Yankees have a chance. Meanwhile, the Steinbrenners and Levine line their pockets and they have fans like you who gladly look the other way.

Tim

The Yankees have finished with the best record in the AL 3 of the last 4 years. Doing it again isn’t out of the question.

/Your logic

Cashman’s Mistress

Except for the three starters they lost and didn’t replace. Nice job covering your eyes and ears.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

“I say, let this team die. Cash in. Why fight? They have as close to a 0% chance of winning the pennant or the World Series as you could have even if they did somehow manage to get a wild card spot. ”

There is so, so, so much wrong with this statement.

You want to know who has as close to a 0% chance of winning the pennant as is possible? The Astros, the Cubs, the Brewers, the Blue Jays, the White Sox, the Twins, the Angels.

There’s an argument to be made for selling. It’s not that this team has 0 chance to win anything.But an argument for selling had better damn acknowledge that we aren’t going to luck into a Boston situation, and that rebuilding might take 5-6 years, not 1-2.

fat jeter

the Yankees, as of 7/25 had a 1.5% chance of winning the pennant and an 11.3% chance of winning the wildcard. You are right, it’s not 0%, but I think there’s a much greater chance finishing at .500 or below than making a one game playoff any sort of reality.

Robinson Tilapia

There’s a lesser version of “let this team die” that we’re probably seeing happen right now.

The issue with some members of the fanbase is that they’re talking out of both sides of their mouth. They complain because the Yankees both did not nothing and did something at the deadline.

Obviously, the identity of this team is up in the air as the core players near retirement, and I think everyone here agrees that it’s quite unclear what the new identity is moving forward. Relying on this core for as long as the franchise has (and rightfully so, btw, as the results speak for themselves) makes for a process that was going to be quite difficult if everything had broken right, which it hasn’t.

There’s not one person here, not even Mike, who can properly define what “overhaul the team-building philosophy” means. It’s a bunch of words you can put together that allow you to point a finger at someone else and look good doing it because, damnit, that’s what matters most. If you’re not pointing a finger and saying “it’s HIS fault” or “it’s THEIR fault,” then you’re just not trying hard enough as a fan. It’s Armchair Yankee Fan Privilege (from the makers of “Victory Lap”.) You point the finger and yell big and loud because you can and there’s really no repurcussion to you for doing so. CASHMANFAILED and you go back to your regular life commenting, blogging, or whatever else.

None of this was directed at you, btw, although I still think “let the team die,” while a literally device, was a bit overdramatic.

Rebuild

You’re right….it was a literary device. I’m not pointing the finger at any FO person and blaming anyone. How much roster flexibility have the Yankees had in the last 10 years? As has been pointed out, we can use hindsight and criticize FO moves with the assumption that every single player in baseball wants or would have wanted to play for the Yankees. Do we know all the details? Did the Yankees know, for instance, that Colon and Melky Cabrera were juicing, and cut them loose for that reason? Do they act on hunches about health issues?

One thing I’m pretty sure I have a reasonable right to do as a fan is judge the FO and management by the results. The Yankees have been incredibly successful in the last 15 years, so in my opinion, Cashman is a good baseball executive. Given what he’s had to work with, both on the good side ($$$$) and the bad side (worse bargaining position? locked in long term contracts to aging players), he has managed to keep the team near the top of the heap for a very long time.

I just think the string has run out, and it’s time to cut losses and work on building the next great team. I think hobbling along with a mediocre team is fine….don’t take on stupid new contracts, and use this time of mediocrity to try to rebuild the organization. If there is a good opportunity to shed a star player who is either in or entering his decline phase, do it, if the reward is sufficient.

JohnC

Mike is absolutely right about the poor job of building this team this past offseason. That is on Cashman and ownership. For instance, I was not in favor of resigning Russell Martin, but was disappointed that they didn’t show any interest in AJ Pierzynski. Bringing in veterans off the scrap heap like Hafner was a terrible job. the FO has to take the heat for that. ON the other hand, I commend Cashman for not caving to the demands of the vultures out there trying to extract our top prospects for a 2 month rental like YOung. Could still get YOung this month as the Phillies continue to sink and see less and less reason to hold onto him and maybe they get him for a low level prospect.

Tim

If they were willing to take Young’s contract they could get him for no prospect. He can’t by NY on waivers to be traded to other places he would waive his no trade clause. If NY is ahead of Texas and Boston I guess it’s possible someone else claims him before NY.

Mark L.

Smart and well-written – I think Cashman is getting tired of this job. He isn’t a particularly talented manager or negotiator but he likely feels that he still needs to prove he can assemble a cost-effective contender.

I’d like to see him step down in October or November. I’m curious as to what Afterman can do if given some autonomy. I think even Hal and Randy know that they don’t have the acumen to make all of their own personnel decisions.

Cashman’s Mistress

I agree here completely. Brian told me during pillow talk that nothing excites him more than dressing up in women’s underwear and jumping from buildings as Santa. He’s bored and unable to get it up any longer.

Seriously, I do agree. He got tried of waiting for prospects and relied on what he always had – Cash, man. This team is a bloated mess. The pain has just started.

wow

I agree. However, that kind of change in philosophy requires an appropriately motivated ownership and a front office that agrees with that philosophy. As of now, we have neither.

BaltimorwYankee

I would love to have seen what they would have gotten for Cano and Kuroda. If this team makes the playoffs this year (a big IF), they won’t go too deep into it.

Frank

Said at begining of season this was a .500 team, if that. I can accept that. The fact is this team is old and needs to rebuild. The moves made this season was akin to placing a bandaid on a gunshot wound. Girardi should just give more PT to Romine, who has played better of late and sit Stewart, who is clearly spent. Also, give Melky Mesa more PT over Wells. I like his energy. Play him and see what he can do.

Duh Injuries

Brian Cashman general managed like a jackass as follows:

1. He didn’t pay Russell Martin $17M for two years at $8.5M per year but he took on $11.4M of Vernon Wells salary for 2013 (almost $3M more than the cost of 2013 Martin) and another $2.4M of Wells salary for 2014 for $13.9M total in Wells salary through next season, $3.1M less than what Martin got from the Pirates, the best team in MLB. He then inexplicably gave hasbeen Ichiro Suzuki $6.5M a year through next season for $26.9M total for two hasbeens (him and Wells) through next season), $9.9M more than the cost of Martin. Add the $1.5M he pissed away on Brennan Boesch and that’s $28.4M for three outfielders who combined aren’t even worth an entire season of Russell Martin. He re-signs Stewart for $515K and decides Austin Romine is fit to be the backup catcher.

2. He gave injury-prone hasbeen Youkilis double what 29-year old power-hitting Mark Reynolds took from Cleveland and quadruple what five-time Gold Glove thirdbaseman Eric Chavez got from Arizona. Had the Yanks signed Reynolds and re-signed Chavez, they’d still cost $3M less than Youkilis.

3. He re-signed Pettitte for $12M, a half a mil shy of quintiple Pettitte’s 2012 salary ($2.5M) based on what? What leverage did Pettitte who thinks he can / wants to win 300 games have over the Yanks?

4. He gave Joba Chamberlain $1.85M but did’t give Joakim Soria just $150K more for 2013 and $5M for 2014 even though Soria publicly stated he would be willing to set up for Rivera.

5. He let go of rarely injured, can play the field Raul Ibanez and replaced him oft-injured can’t play the field Travis Hafner.

6. He couldn’t trade two mid-20s pitchers with strikeout ability (Hughes and Chamberlain) for $9.7M minus what they’ve made so far separately or as a package.

If the Yanks don’t win a wildcard slot Cashman should be fired immediately after the elimination game.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

I love hindsight too.

Cashman’s Mistress

Seriously, you thought letting Martin go was a good move? Or letting Chavez go? Or replacing Swisher with Ichiro and Wells?

Then of course there’s the complete lack of any farm products, especially pitching. That doesn’t take a genius to realize it would come back to bite them in the ass. In fact, Cashman promised explicitly that would be his commitment. That lasted one season (2008) and there the problem wasn’t the youth, it was Posada getting hurt. Wrong lesson, and then wrong moves.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

I didn’t think letting Martin go was a genius move, but no one, no one logical at least, expected him to hit like he has.

And expecting league average production, at a tiny fraction of the cost, from Cervelli, wasn’t that out of the world either.

Even Mike wouldn’t argue that letting Chavez go was a travesty.

Wells wasn’t a replacement for Swisher. Wells was an admittedly terrible overreaction to Granderson’s injury.

You try convincing guys to come here to play when they’re 2nd or 3rd in line behind established stars. No good 1B would come to sit behind Tex. No good SS would come to sit behind Jeter. No good 3B would come for half a year when ARod was supposed to be back in July.

Circumstances made things suck. You can argue that Cash didn’t react perfectly, you could argue that standing pat and sucking it up for a year was the right move. It’s not black and white, and for everyone to overreact and bitch and moan about context-free in-a-vacuum mistakes drives me insane.

Bubba

I agree with everything you have written here except for Wells being a terrible overreaction. They needed someone when Grandy went down and Wells cost basically nothing. We have been subjected to more of Wells than I think anyone expected when Granderson got injured (unrelated) a second time.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

” We have been subjected to more of Wells than I think anyone expected when Granderson got injured (unrelated) a second time.”

Probably true. I was just trying to throw a bone to the other side of the argument.

Bubba

Well that’s mighty neighborly of you!

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

I try! But sometimes people just don’t get it!

Tim

You have a lot of inaccuracies in here. You are also assuming every player wants to play for NY regardless of if they have an equal or close to equal pay elsewhere.

pat

Mark Reynolds 2013: -1 WAR

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

Shhhhhh

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

*World’s smallest violin*

It’s always Cash and the Yankees not doing enough. It’s never another team expecting too much or not giving the Yankees the same kind of deal they might give say, the astros. I’m sure if Cash decided he wanted Young badly enough he could have traded Heathcott and Austin.

The 3B production is exactly 1/2 of what Detroit has received by OPS. There is a lot of room to improve there and starting on Friday the guys above are part of the team and not part of what contributed to those brutal numbers.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

And of course I wish we’d upgraded at 3B. Who doesn’t?

But I didn’t wish it in a vacuum. I wished it within the context of not mortgaging the future, and not getting taken to the cleaners.

Robinson Tilapia

Who out there who was actually a known available quantity was truly worth giving up prospects for and better than just sticking Nunez in there? Who really represented that guaranteed sizeable an upgrade?

Perhaps it’s Young, and perhaps he still winds up a Yankee, but Philly seems to have pulled back on him, not the Yankees.

Tim

I agree with you guys. When the needs occurred I’m not sure what else NY could do. It isn’t like Mike Schmidt is available in FA or trade. What I’m saying is that there any movement this month or just getting some flexibility and rest for the guys playing 3B may result in improved play.

The backups have been overextended and probably needed breaks.

Robinson Tilapia

Of course, and the smartest thing Suzyn said all season was when she looked at John (I think she looked – It was radio after all) and said “doesn’t it seem like we’re always signing the same guy?”

But trading a prospect for Placido Polanco wasn’t going to do much for me. I don’t even think it would have changed more than five words of Mike’s column, two of which would have been “Placido” and “Polanco.”

fat jeter

Polonco isn’t much of a player and would not have made a difference; you are right. But his name does sound very similar to world famous opera singer and umpire Enrico Polatzo, and at the very least that would have been fun.

gc

THANK YOU.

You mention how you’re getting really tired of the overly-emotional reactions of our fanbase. I’m getting tired of the founder and editor-in-chief of this website leading those overly-emotional fans off the ledge. It’s the single biggest reason I don’t frequent RAB nearly as much as I used to. The leader of the pack is the biggest crybaby.

WFAN Caller

And yet, here you are!

The only thing worse than fans wearing blinders are people who frequently read things that piss them off. I bet you like dipping your balls (or vagina) in burning-hot candle wax too?

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

Hey, what people like to do in their bedroom is their own business, right? Have you ever tried hot candle wax on your nether regions? I haven’t. So I can’t knock it.

Robinson Tilapia

Jim is Cold Down There.

Robinson Tilapia

Whatever someone does with their balls or succulent lady parts is their business.

WFAN Caller

Well I have, and it made me angry! So angry in fact that I ended up on the Boston Glove website commenting on how much I hate Nick Cafardo!

Robinson Tilapia

So it wasn’t for you. Perhaps there’s other things you’d prefer down there. Where IS Svetlana?

It fucking sucks that you spent all that energy on a site about gloves in Boston, though. Clearly it was, at least, distracting.

WFAN Caller

It wasn’t until later that I realized Cafardo writes for the Boston GLOBE. Scalding hot candle wax on your dick will make you do some strange things, I tells you.

Robinson Tilapia

But you probably got a nice of gloves out of it, so not all is lost.

WFAN Caller

I sure did! Highly recommended. The craftsmanship of Boston Gloves is unmatched.

They’d be doing it if the team was ten games in first. Hell, they did just as recently as last season.

Remember last season. That disaster of a Yankee team didn’t even make the…..oh wait, they were in the ALCS, but that’s not how it’s remembered.

Armchair Yankee Fan Privilege.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

Guh. Good points.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

What I should have said was:

“I’m already frustrated that the Yankees aren’t winning. That combined with the annoying overreactions of the fanbase is driving me crazy”

Past years I’ve had “Scoreboard” as a fallback.

JLC 776

BUT… BUT… I HATED LAST YEAR’S TEAM BEFORE THEY MADE THE PLAYOFFS AND I SAID THEY WOULDN’T WIN AND THEN THEY DIDN’T WIN SO I WAS VINDICATED!!!

steves

I think the non-moves were really a reflection of the uncertainty the Yanks find themselves in at the moment. They really don’t know what they have in CC, Andy, Hughes and Jeter for the rest of the year; if those guys stay healthy and perform well then that should be enough (with Grandy and Soriano) to keep them in the hunt; if any or some of that group of 4 does not perform well then adding a Young and/or Ruiz wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Bottom-line is Yanks were not one or two moves away from being a high probability strong contender for the rest of this year; it was better to keep the minor league chips in place and figure what the best strategy for rebuilding/retooling is in the off-season when they are not under a deadline gun.

Robinson Tilapia

We might as well have had Duh Injuries write a guest column. Is there really a difference between Mike’s post and what DI wrote at 10:11?

The terrorists have won.

PS: Apparantly, using Duh Injuries’s former screen name on here results in your comment not going up. Isn’t that a bit silly considering HE’S STILL COMMENTING?

JLC 776

“The terrorists have won.”

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

“The inmates are running the asylum”

jsbrendog

the terriosts finally won? 4 or 5 years later? man. we put up a good fight. somewhere tjsc’s burrito just exploded in the microwave.

Robinson Tilapia

I’m going to go crazy trying to figure out why I can’t put the words “duh” and “innings” together in a comment, yet I get to hear about how Eric Jagelio should be thrown to the wolves on a daily basis. Just let me put the words together.

Maybe Muh Winnings is the new Red Felson.

Steve

So let me get this right – teams sensing the Yankees desperation asked for more (that part makes sense)…then they didn’t trade the players to anyone!!!!! So now lets say the Yankees were not desperate…then teams would have lowered demands and traded to Yankees?!?! It is a ridiculous argument mike – when the players were not actually traded!! I guess you’re saying teams played a game of chicken w yanks and were waiting for them to blink…that tells me these teams were not trading these guys to ANYONE unless they got blown away.

Mike has become that irrational blowhard Yankee fan – $59 million of players go on DL in spring training and they should just replace. Arrogance! Mike has written a variation of this post at least 10 times this year. Give it a rest please.

Mike c

Precisely, and keep in mind this article is written by the same guy who wants to dump cano and called Derek jeter an albatross a year ago. It’s just a bunch of entitled hot air coming from a biased spoiled hack

Colombo

You should both ask for refunds of your subscription fees. Oh wait…

nsalem

I think it is difficult to judge the FO’s performance without knowing what were the other teams demands for say a Morales, Morse or Young. I imagine the asking price was something like a one top ten prospect or maybe two 10-20 prospects, I think Young (because he would have solved two problems at once) may have been the player they we were most in need of. Should we have given up a career worth of years from one of our top 10 prospects for 2 months of Michael Young. Tough decision.

Tim

The reports are Seattle was not just asking for a top 10 prospect, it was more like top 75 in all of baseball. I didn’t hear anything about what Amaro wanted for Young. But paying the salary and a player should have gotten it done, they aren’t contending for anything.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

It’s really too bad Amaro is a moron.

nsalem

Maybe the GM’s of the other teams we counting on someone going over Cashman’s head at the last second and literally giving away the farm. Who knows? Just saying that if we don’t know all the facts it’s difficult to judge a GM’s performance. It’s not like watching a player whose every move on the field is recorded and is a statistic.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

Meh. Amaro has enough history for me to safely declare him a moron.

The Howard contract alone is enough.

gc

This is exactly the type of well-reasoned evaluation that Mike Axisa USED to make around here. It’s sad to see it has been replaced with the knee-jerk spoiled brat nonsense that is more commonplace.

Loved it. Fell asleep on the couch for innings 5-top 9, woke up just in time for outs 2 and 3 in the bottom of the 9th.

Robinson Tilapia

With some hot candle wax….

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

The burn lets you know you’re alive

Robinson Tilapia

Thank you, Greg.

JLC 776

I truly hope Mike works ‘candle wax’ into the title of the next post. It will likely be about ARod, too. Let your imagination go wild.

Vern Sneaker

We don’t know the details of what Cashman offered and what he turned down, but it’s logical to assume everyone was trying to rob him. If that’s true I have no problem with us not picking up questionable help for good prospects. It’s the future that’s the problem with the roster as constructed and with our best prospects several years away from being ready (if they ever are). The only answer I see to that to build a championship club for the next year or two is to do a blockbuster that includes Cano for a true re-stocking with major league-ready or near-ready talent that would also also free $$ for free agent starting pitchers. Otherwise I think we’re headed for several years of being on the outside looking in.

Vern Sneaker

I recognize, of course, that Cano is going nowhere. That’s what’s depressing me.

mac1

I bet Cano at the deadline for a blockbuster deal wasn’t available. It seems all the GM’s are highly valuing prospects – the guys with the vets to trade ask for multiple top prospects, the GM’s on the other side of the deal won’t bite – yesterdays deadline was really telling.

I will say this does remind me of the late 70’s when 32 year old guys mostly played in serious decline.

Robinson Tilapia

I think things would have magically happened for a player of Cano’s caliber. I actually disagree there.

Betty Lizard

Alan Watts has a better take on this:

“Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.”

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

““Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.” BLOWING EVERYTHING UP WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE!.

ftfy.

Pat D

I’d actually say that Muddy water is best treated by listening to Muddy Waters.

Betty Lizard

That too. Another source of wisdom. :-)

Kosmo

oh ya oh ya everything is gonna be all right. when I was a young man at the age of 21…
Love Muddy and Alan Watts

JoeyA

Been saying this almost all year:

Make a damn decision and stick with it. The only thing fans hate more than losing is toiling in mediocrity. Go ask the Twins what that’s like.

The organization is scared to do a total rebuild bu too cheap to continually retool roster. so, instead, they don’t contend, have no bright spots for the future, and go into each season crossing their fingers.

WFAN Caller

Ehhhh, too cheap? They have a $240MM payroll. Sure, it might have been spent unwisely, but I’ve never heard anyone call the Yankees “cheap.”

I also disagree about the whole – the farm is empty – panic. Some of the arms the Yankees have: The possible return of Pineda, Rafael DePaula, Jose Ramirez and even Vidal Nuno are pretty exciting. Even doofy Betances pitching well out of the bullpen is a sight for sore eyes.

Robinson Tilapia

This is now going against what a WFAN Caller would say. I don’t mind, though.

WFAN Caller

I try to stay true to form, but there are enough “Callers” on here as is.

Robinson Tilapia

I laughed a bit too loud at that for a guy with his door open.

kenthadley

Good writeup, Mike. We have a “middle of the pack” GM who has finally turned the Yanks into a middle of the pack team. The FO performance doesn’t match the FO mantra.

Manny’s BanWagon

I think Cashman is totally overrated and a middle of the pack GM that has rode the coattails of a once in a generation core and unlimited financial resources. I think he needs to go and be replaced with some new blood.

That being said, I can’t fault him for not giving up prospects for some marginal upgrades that may or may not get them over the hump and into the playoffs only to be squashed like they were last year. No sense throwing good money after bad at this point.

kenthadley

Hence, another example of “middle of the pack”. He’s certainly competent as a GM, but that may not be good enough to support the mantra of “championship contender” every year. A GM needs to be as good as the organizational philosophy and goals. Hard to make a case for Cash being at the top of the heap of GM’s.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

I have no quarrel with people who think it’s time for some new blood. He definitely benefited from a once in a lifetime core and unlimited resources.

I think he’s had trouble adapting to a perceived(or real, who knows) budget that was handed down while they still had a ton of money wrapped up in guys signed before that budget was policy. I think most people would struggle with it.

I don’t think he’s a God, I don’t think he’s terrible. I think he’s slightly above average. I also think he’s handled the press poorly as of late, seems to be frustrated, and it’s probably best for everyone if we move on to the next era.

Bo Knows

Having issues adapting to a budget when you already have most if not the entire budget already spent in current commitments is something that would give anyone issues that’s not just Cashman. 189 million is more than enough to field a championship caliber team, but that’s on a blank slate. If you already have significant amounts of that money tied up from past deals, the only way to afford a team is to go cheap in other places.

The Bastard

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Oy

Royals gave up Smith, a 20 year old arm that is cruising through High A in for Justin Maxwell. A’s gave up an MLB ready middle infielder who’s destroyed AAA for 1.5 years of an average, expensive utility player.

Both, Maxwell and Alberto Callaspo would’ve been very good additions to the team. Maxwell is strictly a platoon bat against LHP, but he plays good defense and is under control until 2017. Callaspo is better than anything we have at 3B.

However, can anyone imagine the chaos if Yankees would’ve given up DePaula for Maxwell? Or Austin + Flores for Callaspo? I don’t blame Cash for not buying at this trade deadline. I can only blame the ownership for having their heads up their asses.

A.D.

While part of the reason the Yanks are where they are is the choices they’ve made in the offseason, it doesn’t mean they should then go nuts during mid-season trades, and frankly no players were dealt that I really wanted they Yanks to get (or at least would be willing to meet the asking price), so I feel can only be so mad at the lack of activity.

Several teams could have used Young, Morse, or Morales, the fact they weren’t traded is more likely to be on Amaro and Jack Z than anyone else.

Pat D

Well, that was a mistake.

You know what I think about all of this? You don’t care. So I’m not going to tell you.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

I care! I care! I care!

Pat D

There are other forums for this.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

I know, I was just sort of being, I don’t know, a peckerhead.

Kramerica Industries

When Mike tears into the organization, it really does act like a lightning rod for RAB, doesn’t it?

Maybe they contend, maybe they don’t. Doesn’t matter. Ownership need only sell the IDEA they could contend. Unfortunately for many it’s not that hard a sell.

stuart a

the yanks are toiling in mediocrity. they have not won the chamionship in 4 years and only made the playoffs each of those years!!!!!

ONLY IN YANKEE LAND IS A last years 90+ win team medicore..or 16 out of 17 in the playoffs etc. considered mediocrity…

newsflash einsteins yansk made a trade. they got granderson for NADA…or you like wells in the lineup over grandy. they should dfa wellls and keep mesa on the team but that will not happen…

Robinson Tilapia

I still don’t understand how this happened, but bravo. Thank you, stuart.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

This is such a bizarro year.

Robinson Tilapia

If stuart really is a Mets fan, as much as I know he’s had his issues with the regulars here before (I mean, jjyank and I once spent hours as stuart b-z until Mike told us to stop), the spoiled brats must drive him crazier. I totally would get it.

Former ACE MannyGeee

Mind. BLOWN.

mt

I have criticisms of Cashman too (like signing Youklis at that high salary to replace injury prone Arod) but as far as trade deadline to me that is a separate issue. There were no players that got traded that we could say we could have matched or exceeded the acquiring team’s offer If Red Sox had got Michael Young for Brandon Workman or Texas had gotten him for Leonys Martin, for example (or somebody like that) then we could have either legitimately criticized Cashman for not trying to exceed those prices or said the Yankees were right to pass because these were overpays – but how can you criticize so strongly when no bats (other than Soriano) got traded at all?

Look at this market – every losing team has to do what they have to do for their fan base but from a neutral perspective there were what I would term some ridiculous non-trades (WTF – Mets not selling journeymen Byrd or Buck (isn’t D’arnaud the future – what role does Buck have?), Mariners holding on to everybody even Morse returning from injury) – so basically you are saying that we should have overpaid so much to get teams like that to trade those players they did not trade to 29 other teams. Or should we have tried to outbid on the players who actually did get traded like Peavy/ Norris/Garza/Kennedy? Most of trades were Starting pitchers or relievers.

As for selling off, do you really think we should have switched to selling off the Cano/Kuroda level players if we could not make trades to bring people in? The lack of a Hughes/Chamberlain sale is not a big deal – Joba is worth nothing and the possibility of Hughes getting a Qualifying offer and therefore maybe a first round draft choice (admittedly debatable right now due to his erratic performance) still might have exceeded the crappy prospect return that we might have been offered.

Batsman

Mike Axis is an idiot. The trade deadline is not a big deal for the Yankees this season, simply because with their record they can effectively transact through the waiver wire with very little blockage.

BTW, how is Nick Swisher doing? Russell Martin? FYI, the way this season has been going for the Yankees, Martin would freakishly be hurt too. As for Eric Chavez, the Yankees didn’t need him because at this point, he can’t play 100 games leading up to June, which leads to the reasonable signing of Youkalis.

All in all, this 2013 season is one of strange anomolies and circumstances that leads every player to the disabled list. In other words, you can bring in all the player’s in Mike Axis’ wishlist and they will eventually find the disabled list as well.

Bubba

Sorry for the off topic but did anyone see this little gem from our old friend Buck:

I think it’s brilliant. He’s just completely playing to what his average fan wants to believe, it endears him with the locals. I’d want our manager to do the same thing.

But yeah, he’s a tool to the rest of us.

Kramerica Industries

Reminds me of the Rays broadcasters whining in 2011 about “what if” there was a 2nd WC, where they would stand.

Sure, appealed to the Rays fans themselves, I’m sure. But to someone like me, it was just the utmost display of bitching for the sake of bitching. And, golly gee, they made the playoffs anyway, assholes!

Robinson Tilapia

Then start blowing him now, Buck.

pat

Matt Weiters 2013 WAR: .4
Chris Stewart 2013 WAR: .4

No thanks.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

Baahahahahaha that’s awesome.

vicki

don’t cleverer people use fwar for position players?

Nathan

My opinion is that there wasn’t much out there or if there was, you’d have to give up more than what the Yankees were willing to part with. So I don’t really have an issue there though I would have loved to see some reinforcements.

What I do have a problem with the Yankees this year is the whole budget threshold. Yeah yeah, it’s the Steinbrenner’s team and they can run it how they want. But they had to understand that they were putting out a mediocre team and handcuffed Cashman with the budget. Chris Stewart at catcher when Martin was available? Sign injury prone Youk to hold 3B down until injuried ARod recovers? Stuff like that.

I’ve never hated two words as much as I do now with “Budget” and “Threshold”. Wait, does “Red Sox” count as one or two words?

Dalek Jeter

Mike even mentioned it in the (overtly pandering pessimistic): The market was incredibly weak. Maybe more so for the Yankees because other GMs smelled blood in the water, but Iglasias and 4 prospects moving to get Peavy (the Kevin Youkilis of pitchers) tells you how much of a seller’s market it was. I don’t know about you guys, but as much as I want to contend but trading any combination of Sanchez, Williams, Austin, Campos, or even Heathcott for a guy like Young or Ruiz is just too much. Also, the Yankees traded for the best bat that got moved around the deadline in Alfonso Soriano, and gave up probably a B prospect for him. When a 35+ year old hitter with a ~300 OBP costs a solid prospect AND he’s the best hitter moved that says something.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

It says Cashman failed.

Robinson Tilapia

Yeah, Plouff. That’s all it read, just like my 10:27 comment.

hogsmog

I think it’s completely understandable that the deadline was a shallow, seller’s market, and that Cashman thought nothing could be done to improve the team.

But then I would ask, how come you don’t become sellers in a seller’s market? If the Yankees 1) needed to improve at the deadline for a chance at the postseason and 2) knew they’d be unlikely to find anyone at the deadline, why not make a killing off Kuroda, or even solid returns off guys like Gardner or Robertson?

This inaction doesn’t strike me as prudence, but indecision.

Robinson Tilapia

I’m not convinced what we saw yesterday was a seller’s market either.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

It was a stagnant, dead market.

JLC 776

I think it will be a few more years before we really understand the dynamic of the trade deadline markets under the reality of a second wild card and the diminished impact of free agents.

July 31st might never again be quite as interesting as it once was.

It’s a new world.

http://riveraveblues Dennis v

Couldn’t agree more Cashman does not deserve the job going forward need to clean house from top to bottom minor-league system a mess also

jsbrendog

goodbye RAB. it’s been real. Go Yankees. I’m sure I’ll still read from time to time but no more comments. feel free to flame away.

Go Yanks.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

Mike wants his readers to be like Cashman’s Mistress. He’s getting his wish.

I’ve stopped coming here altogether after losses. If I were less of a bored peckerhead, I’d find another place to spend my time too.

stuart a

Dennis V with a shrewd comment. Dennis in the fire them all camp. they all stink camp. I am sure dennis scouts the minors extensively.

I am sure Dennis V has a host of GM candidates in mind, along with scouting director, and scouts.

Can’t wait to hear Dennis’s suggestions..

your mom

If we do really shitty this month can’t we just put everyone on the waiver wire and potentially trade them then?

Kramerica Industries

FWIW, there is a lot that I tend to agree with Mike with on this topic, but there are examples he’s made that I feel are exorbitant.

Mentioning the Rangers and Garza a week ago. Yippee. Nice move, Texas. When you can move your top prospect for a mid-rotation rental, you gotta do it.

The fact that Jake Peavy didn’t fetch a great return isn’t surprising, since Jake Peavy isn’t a difference making SP anymore. He’s also an enormous choke in big games.

If Jack Z. or Ruben Amaro Jr. are being assholes, I can’t blame Cashman there. I desired some combination of Morales, Morse, and Young. But for a team that would not be the AL favourites even with those moves, I wouldn’t sacrifice useful future players for rentals there. If those two still believe their team is in the playoff race, that’s not something Cashman can help. That’s Jack and Ruben being delusional schleps.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

We just never have all the information. People make absolute statement based on incomplete data, and no one ever has that data to prove them correct or incorrect.

Cool Lester Smooth

Olt isn’t their top prospect at this point, because of the whole “inability to hit PCL pitching as a 24 year old” issue.

He is HUGE for a 15 year old (now 16 I guess). Also…I don’t really like his swing, I can’t say why…but the mechanics just seem a bit off. He’s only 16 though, so I guess he’s got plenty of time to figure it out.

pat

THE YANKEES CAN’T COMPETE IN THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET ANYMORE

Wheels

Wasn’t this covered already yesterday?

thenamestsam

So after nearly 20 years of unparalleled success, one injury decimated year finds the Yankees 3 games out of a playoff spot on August 1 and that shows that they need to overhaul their entire team building philosophy?

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

As well as tar and feather the GM.

Dalek Jeter

And burn him at the stake.

Cool Lester Smooth

Shouldn’t we just save the tar for our genitals?

You know, in case we run out of wax.

Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

Considering that this past offseason has not followed the same team-building strategies as those previous 18 or whatever it is years, then yes.

They obviously did not use the same philosophy.

With that said, I’m happy to accept that the dynasty years ended. I just wish the Yankees were and actually decided to plan for the future as opposed to sticking with their current mediocre roster.

Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

Scratch the word “happy” and replace it with “ready”. LEt’s not be too extreme.

RetroRob

Klaw has an interesting article (Insider alert) on teams that should have bought or sold. He doesn’t list the Yankees on either list.

The issue is almost no teams were sellers, so basically what this article suggests is the Yankees should have switched gears based on the market and become sellers. It’s perhaps a valid point, although not sure I agree.

Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

I couldn’t possibly agree more with everything you’ve written in this article.

Cool Lester Smooth

Who should they have gotten, though?

I’m genuinely curious, because it looks like they got not only the best bat available, but the only one.

Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

They should have sold. Or, and I’m serious, they should have mortgaged the farm for players like Young.

I wouldn’t agree with that but as far as I’m concerned the answer was either “wave the white flag and prepare for the future” or “try and go all out and make a real run”

Instead what they did was “Keep things the way they are, leaving us in bad shape both this year AND in the future”.

Cool Lester Smooth

Personally, I think the most prudent upgrade would be to wait for Grandy to come back, you know, tomorrow.

Cliche or not, he will be the biggest upgrade made at the deadline.

Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

With everything said, if they kick ass through the waiver wire all is forgiven.

Jmpnyy

Funny thing about that TD this year was how the Cubs were dangling Dioneer Navarro out there like he was Buster Posey to the Cards. Wonder if his name came up in Soriano talks?

Kosmo

Gardner
Jeter
Cano
Soriano
Granderson
Overbay
Ichiro
Nix
Stewart

Young would´ve fit just fine in the 5 hole with Nix going back to UP.
But I for the most part can role with this lineup. I´d like to see Adams recalled and placed at 3B and I´d also like to see if Randy Ruiz has anything to offer as a DH/1B.

Kosmo

I´d be content if NY turns in a 86-76 season given the number of injuries that NY has had to endure.

Tom

As NYers we have seen the strategy of not accepting the reality of a team’s roster composed of overpaid stars of yester-year and band-aid players who fit in under a cap (whether self imposed or an actual salary cap). This is the exact situation of the Knicks for the last ~10 years. Things did not get better until the team committed to change the problem. Yes, it took 2 years of terrible performance to change the direciton/composition of the team. But by sticking to a strategy the team is healthier now than since the late 90s. I’m worried the Yankees management is setting up for a long stretch of Knick’s like futility through their inaction.

The Real Greg

Yet the Knicks are still nowhere close to winning a title. In fact they are the 5th best team in that conference right now.

The bottom line is that in sports, in order to be successful now, you have to draft and develop your own superstars and the Yankees have not done that since Cano.